Switch.



W. .T. CLARK.

SWITGH.

APPLIOATION FILED MAR. 27, 1909.

Patented July 6, 1909.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIS J. CLARK, OF BRITTON, MICHIGAN.

SWITCH.

T all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLrs J. CLARK, a citizen of the United States, residing at Britton, in the county of Lenawee and State of Michigan, have invented anew and useful Switch, of which the following a specification.

This invention relates to railway switches and more particularly to means for automatically closing a switch after a train has passed on to or oil of a siding.

The object of the invention is to provide a switch designed to be opened manually as ordinarily, means being provided for compressing air and utilizing it for the purpose of returning the switch automatically to its initial position a'lterthe train has passed the switch in either direction, said air being compressed by the action of the car wheels upon a pump.

A further object is to provide a lock for securely holding the switch in either open or closed position, said lock being under the control of the pneumatically operated mechanism.

With these and other objects in view the invention consists in certain novel details of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter more fully described and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings the preferred form of the invention has been shown.

In said drawings :Figure 1 is a plan view of a switch embodying the present improve ments. Fig. 2'is a view partly in section and partly in elevation of the pump of the apparatus. Fig. 3 is a view partly in section and partly inelevation of the three arm lever and its actuating roller. Fig. 4 is an elevation of a portion of the detector bar and the lockcontrolling rod extending therefrom. Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail view of the lock. Fig. 6 is a View showing, diagrammatically; the relative positions of the three arm lever and lock when the actuating roller has completed one half of its movement in one direction. Fig. 7 is a similar view, showing the relative positions of the parts upon the completion of the movement of the roller in one direction.

Referring to the figures by characters of reference 1 designates the main track and 2 the siding, the switch rails being indicated at 3 and of ordinary construction. A guide casing 4 is located adjacent one side of the switch, and mounted to reciprocate therein is a slide 5 having a longitudinal slot 6, said Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed March 27, 1909.

Patented July 3, 1909. 7

Serial No. 486,198.

slide being attached to one end of the switch rod 7 to which the rails 3' are connected. This rod is pivotally connected. to one arm 8 of a three-arm lever fulcrumed adjacent the switch. The other two arms 9 and 1.0 of this three arm lever are designed to cooperate with a roller 11 journaled within a frame 12, one end of which is connected to an ordinary switch stand 13 by means of a link 14 while the other end of said frame hasa rod 15 extending therefrom and under the track, said rod projecting past the casing 4 and being provided at its end with a iston 16 mounted to reciprocate within a cylinder 17. A locking-lever 18 is centrally fulcrumed adjacent the casing 4 and pivotally connected to the ends of this lever are bolts 19 and20 respectively, said bolts being slidably mounted within guide extensions 21 upon the casing 4 and being movable alternately into the slot 6 within the slide 5. The bolts are of such length that when the lever 18 is parallel with the longitudinal axis of the'casing4 the two bolts are out of engagement with the slide, but any slight movement of the lever in either direction will result in one or the other of the bolts projecting into the slot 6. An arm 22 extends from themiddle portion of the lever 18 and this arm is connected by means of a pitman 23 to the rod 15.

A pump cylinder 24 is arranged close to one of the rails of the siding at a point removed from the switch rails 3, and this cylinder is connected by a pipe 25 with the cylinder 17 a check valve 26 being located at a suitable point for preventing the flow of air in one direction through the pipe 25. 1-. piston 27 is mounted to reciprocate Within the cylinder 24 and the rod 28 thereof extends upwardly close to the rail of the siding and is connected to a lever 29, one end 01 which is fulcrumed close to the base flange of a siding rail, while the other end thereof is free and supported above the base flange of said rail. This lever is so shaped that its intermediate portion normally projects above the head of the rail and in a position where it can be depressed by each car wheelpassing along the rail. A spring 30 serves to hold the lever normally elevated and the piston 27 normally at one end ofthe cylinder 24.

A detector bar 31 is arranged along one of the siding rails and is supported by links 32 as ordinarily, one of the links being extended downwardly below its fulcrum as indicated at 33 and pivotally attached to one end of a rod 3 1, the other end of this red being secured to one arm of the lever 18. It is of course to be understood that the normal positions of the switch rails 3 have been indicated in Fig. 1, the bolt 20 being disposed within one end of the slot 6 so as to prevent the slide 5 from moving in one direction and permitting the switch to open. The actuating roller 11 bears upon the arm 9 of the three arm lever and the piston 16 is positioned within one end of cylinder 17.

When it is desired to direct a train on to the siding the lever 01' the switch stand is shifted manually in the ordinary manner, and during the first part 01' this movement the roller 11 travels along the arm t) and causes the rod 15 to swing arm 22 and lever 18 until the bolt 20 has been withdrawn from slide 5. At the instant that this bolt is completely withdrawn from the slide the roller 11 presses against the arm 10, which is arranged preferably at about 1.20 degrees to the arm 9, and said arm 10 is promptly swung into position parallel with the direction 01'' mo vement of the rod 15, thus drawing the arm 8 in the direction 01' the arrow in Fig. 1 and shifting the slide 5 longitudinally. The rails 3 will of course be moved with the slide, and as the roller 1] begins to travel along the arm 10 during the completion of the movement 01: the lever of the switch stand, the bolt 19 is moved into the slot 6 and thus holds the switch in open position. The piston 16 of course moves to the other end of the cylinder 17 during this operation. lYith the parts thus located the train is free to travel on to the siding and the wheels thereof will hold down the detector bar 31 which will thus securely retain the bolt 19 in engagement with the slide 5 inasmuch as the rod 34 will be pressed in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 4.. As each wheel of the car passes over the lever 29 said lever is depressed and subsequently elevated by the spring 31), thus producing a reciprocating action of the piston 28 and causing air to be compressed within the cylinder 17 and back of the piston 16. The piston however is held against movement by the detector bar, but as soon as the train passes oil 01 the detector bar the air compressed within the cylinder 17 will push the piston 16 longitudinally and motion will therefore be transmitted through the link 23 to arm 22 and lever 18 will therefore be rocked so as to withdraw the bolt 19 from engagement with the slide. At the same time that this bolt is withdrawn the roller 11 pushes against the arm 9 and causes the three arm lever to swing in such a direction as to shift the rails 3 into closed position and to move the slide 5 back to its initial position. As roller 11 travels along the arm 9 the bolt 20 will move into engagement with. the slide and thus secure it against -l'urther movement. While this operation of the parts is taking place the detector bar 31 will of course be elevated by lever 34. The parts are thus all returned to their initial positions and the foregoing operation can be repeated. Obviously the parts will operate in the same manner should the switch be approached by a train on the siding.

.lt will of course be understood that various changes may be made in the construetion and arrangement 01 the parts without departing from the spirit or sacrificing the advantages of the invention.

What is claimed isz- 1. The combination with switch-throwing mechanism and a switch-lock controlled thereby, oi car-operated air-compressing means, and car-operated means for holding the switch locked in one position, said switch when released being shifted by the compressed air.

2 The combination with switch-throwing mechanism, a lock controlled thereby, and car-controlled means for holding the switch locked against movement in one direction, of car-operated means for compressing and storing air to shift the switch when released from the car-operated locking means.

3. A railway switch comprising manually operated means for throwing the switch in one direction, switch-locking means, means under control of a car for holding said locking means in a predetermined position, and caroperated means for compressing air to automatically throw the switch when released from the car-controlled look holding means.

4. A railway switch including manually operated throwing means, a switch lock controlled. thereby, car-controlled means for holding the loci; in a predetermined position, and car-operated means for compressing air to return the switch to its initial position when the 10 ck-holding means are released.

5. The combination with a railway switch, a car-operated air-compressin means, of a slidable locking member, locking bolts cooperating therewith, and means operated by the air under pressure for successively withdrawing one of the bolts from engagement with the sliding member, shitting said memher, and finally projecting the other bolt into engagement with the member.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

O. B. LENARDSON, F. B. BAUER. 

